Imo fixes Oct 5 for reopening of schools

The Imo state government has given approval for schools to resume on October 5, 2020.

This was disclosed in a statement by Oguike Nwachukwu, chief press secretary/media adviser to the governor, on Thursday.

The state government had announced on September 23, that it would not reopen schools until COVID-19 tests have been conducted in all the 27 local government areas in Imo.

However, according to the Nwachukwu, the decision to reopen the schools was reached at the state executive council meeting on Wednesday.

“The resumption is, however, subject to the adherence to the recommendations by the committee responsible for ensuring COVID-19 safety protocols, headed by Placid Njoku, deputy governor of Imo state,” the statement read.

Nwachukwu also noted that the council had given approval for the Imo school system to be fully automated.

Declan Emelumba, Imo state commissioner for information and strategy, was quoted as saying the reason for the automation “is to make it easy for government, parents, teachers, students, pupils and the general public to access information on schools as well as data of anyone who passed through such schools”.

On the protest by doctors in the state, Emelumba said the council had received information that the planned warning strike by doctors is not only “politically motivated”, but an effort to “blackmail government”.

He said the state government has been making efforts to “sanitise the wrongs and rot in the payroll system where past administrations, civil and public servants have been found to be complicit”.

He urged the doctors in Imo to reconsider their stand on the planned warning strike and, instead, work towards an amicable resolution through dialogue with the appropriate government officials.